San Francisco Giants' offseason plans hinge on table setters

SAN FRANCISCO -- During their run to a World Series title, the Giants counted on Angel Pagan and Marco Scutaro to set the table for the rest of the lineup. As the offseason heats up, the organization is again waiting for the two veterans to get the ball rolling.

Pagan and Scutaro are free agents, and both continue to test the market in search of lucrative multiyear deals. As general manager Brian Sabean prepared to head to next week's winter meetings in Nashville, he said the Giants' goal for the annual industry summit is "extremely finite."

"We're trying to get Scutaro and Pagan done," Sabean said.

Everything else -- from contract extensions to left field to the bullpen -- has temporarily been put on the back burner.

"We have fallback positions and have created options if one or both decides not to sign with us," Sabean said. "We'll react to what we're up against. You have to play the game."

The game isn't a complex one for the Giants. Unlike most contenders, they have a fully stocked starting rotation and a lineup with few obvious holes. When MVP catcher Buster Posey takes the field next spring, he'll look out and see young everyday players at first base (Brandon Belt), shortstop (Brandon Crawford) and third base (World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval). The Giants are hopeful that Scutaro, the final member of that strong Series-winning infield, will return on a two-year deal.

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After basking in the World Series parade, Scutaro said he would like to return to San Francisco, and the 37-year-old is unlikely to find a situation as appealing as the one the Giants can offer: a starting job, the No. 2 spot in the order and a multiyear deal.

Pagan's situation is a bit more complicated. The 31-year-old center fielder is a free agent for the first time, and the timing couldn't be better. Coming off a season in which he hit .288 with 95 runs, 29 stolen bases and an S.F. franchise-record 15 triples, Pagan has become a hot commodity for teams that miss out on higher-priced outfield options such as Michael Bourn and Josh Hamilton. He has been linked to numerous teams over the past month, including the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets, the team that traded him to San Francisco last offseason.

For the Giants, Pagan's departure would cause more than just a hole in center field. The lineup took off when Pagan was moved back into the leadoff spot in the second half, and a failure to bring Pagan back would leave the roster without an obvious choice to hit atop the lineup. Sabean said the Giants have a list of options if Pagan does not re-sign, and it's believed that any search for a replacement would be headed by Shane Victorino and Ichiro Suzuki.

The Giants could move left fielder Gregor Blanco to center field and instead find a bat for left field, such as Nick Swisher. But that path is not ideal either, as there are some within the organization who believe Blanco, even after a strong postseason, is better suited to be a fourth outfielder.

Sabean called left field a "fluid situation."

"We'll have to react and see if we get Pagan," he said. "Some of it will be a function of what's left in the budget."

The Giants don't expect to have much wiggle room if they re-sign Pagan and Scutaro, but they wouldn't need much. Sabean said he would be prepared to go into next season with the same bullpen, and the majority of the position players remain under team control.

That includes Posey, who is eligible for arbitration for the first time and could become the priority after the team locks up a second baseman and center fielder. Sabean said the Giants have talked internally about a long-term deal that would carry Posey through his arbitration years and give the club cost certainty for years to come.

"We're open to the idea," Sabean said. "We feel he deserves that consideration."

First, however, the Giants will focus on the two players, Pagan and Scutaro, that they hope will set the table for Posey throughout the upcoming bid for a repeat title.